When he was barely out of high school but still an avid participant, Austin was placing highly in some jet skiing competitions, and also won or finished second in a number of other races.

Now, with one national championship behind him last in the 2012 season, Austin was able to repeat as a world champion jet skier, all while having his competitors chasing him down along the way.

The competition to repeat as a champion was stressful for him, he said, but he knew all along that he was going to be the one racer everyone was gunning for when the 2013 season started.

“It was pretty stressful,” he said. “There was a lot of really good racers in my class and I knew they would be very hard to beat. It’s very difficult to win back-to-back championships because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Working his way to the World Finals was one thing, but the constant reminder of “anything can happen” crept into his mind.

He was able to overcome the fears; however, after crossing the finish line first to win his second straight title.

“Once I won and held onto my title a lot of people started to recognize me,” said Austin. “Many of them told me that I’ll be a threat to the pro class within the next couple of years.”

While the championships are a nice reward, working hard to obtain them is just as difficult. Austin continuously trains throughout the season in preparation for the World Finals, and still makes trips to Lake Havasu City in Arizona with his mechanic in order to work on his jet skis.

“I work throughout the year to stay in top shape so I don’t get fatigued in races,” he said. “I travel a lot ... all of the races are out of state, but I still live in Bountiful.”

Looking ahead to the 2014 season, the local racer already has some lofty goals set for himself as he attempts to knotch another championship to his resume.

“I want to compete and try to win the West Coast Pro races, and my main goal is to make it in the Pro class at the 2014 IJSBA World Finals,” he said. “I also hope to win the King’s Cup held in Pattaya, Thailand.”

Looking back at when his career started, Austin said he didn’t think he could accomplish so much in such a small amount of time, but has enjoyed the experience every step of the way.

“I never thought I would be at this level when I was a young teen just looking at barely getting back into racing,” he said. “It’s been an amazing experience and I have made so many great friends along the way.”

The International Jet Sports Boating Association’s schedule for the season has not been released as of press time.